Explore British Columbia’s Scenic West Kootenays

Mountains, lakes and old-growth forests make up the West Kootenays, a scenic and outdoorsy area of the Kootenays region in southeastern BC. Bordering Washington, Idaho and the edge of Montana, it’s nestled between the Okanagan and the East Kootenays, with the Purcell Mountain range as a divider. The Selkirk and Monashee mountains are also in the West Kootenays and the ski town of Revelstoke in the Columbia-Shuswap region and the Trans-Canada Highway are to its north.

There are no major urban centres here. Rather, you’ll find unique alpine culture and artistic and eclectic communities. Major highways that run through the West Kootenays are Hwy 3 in the south (zigzags east-west through Creston, Castlegar and Grand Forks), highways 3A (north and east of Hwy 3) and 3B, which links the towns of Rossland and Trail. Highways 6, 23 and 31 run north-south in the central-northern area of the West Kootenays, with Hwy 23 hugging the east side of the long and thin Upper Arrow Lake.

Situated where the Columbia and Kootenay rivers meet, Castlegar is the crossroads of the West Kootenays and a great spot for trout and kokanee fishing. There are countless hiking and biking trails to try in spring, summer and fall when you can experience mountain meadows in bloom and autumnal changes. Nearby parks include Millennium Park, with its swimming ponds and dog park, and Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park, located in the middle of the Columbia River and accessible by a pedestrian bridge. Castlegar has local markets and hosts various events throughout the year, including music festivals and cultural celebrations. A camping option is Castlegar RV Park and Campground.

Thirty minutes southwest is the picturesque ski town of Rossland and Red Mountain, a prime spot for winter adventures and summer exploring. Rossland Lions is the community campground and Nancy Greene Provincial Park (southwest of Castlegar and north of Rossland) has a refreshing sub-alpine lake and is great for an overnight stay or day visit.

East of Rossland is Trail (check out Trail Creek Falls, Centennial Trail and the sandy beach at Gyro Park) and Beaver Creek Provincial Park along the Columbia River. The 18-hole Birchbank Golf Club boasts mountain and river views and a long golf season, averaging over 210 days annually, and Trail Museum and Archives has three galleries and free admission.

Northeast of Castlegar is Nelson, amidst the Selkirk Mountains, and Kokanee Creek Provincial Park with its four campgrounds, boat launch area and beautiful sandy beaches. Nelson City Campground is walkable to the town’s sights, numerous heritage buildings and amenities. While in Nelson chill out at Rotary Lakeside Park or hike to Pulpit Rock across Kootenay Lake, where stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking are popular. The multi-use Great Northern Rail Trail (49 km) near the town is part of the TransCanada Trail system. An amazing fact about this area is that it’s home to the last remaining inland temperate rainforest on earth, with old-growth western white pine, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, western red cedar, western hemlock, subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce.

Communities close to and along Kootenay Lake include Creston to the south, known for its agriculture and wineries, and Kaslo at the more northern (west side) end of the lake. This village is often called the “Little Switzerland of Canada”. While in Kaslo check out the SS Moyie Sternwheeler National Historic Site, the vessel worked on Kootenay Lake from 1889 until 1957 and is the oldest of its kind in the world. North of Creston is Kootenay Lake Provincial Park (Davis Creek and Lost Ledge campgrounds) and, near Kaslo, is Goat Range Provincial Park, which protects the natural spawning site of the Gerrard rainbow trout, the largest of its kind. Ainsworth Hot Springs on the west shore of Kootenay Lake is a must-visit and just 15-minutes between Balfour or Kaslo on Hwy 31. Close by is Cody Caves Provincial Park where you can book a tour of its magnificent caves system.

Granby Provincial Park (southwest of the locality of Needles/Hwy 6) is one of the least-explored wilderness areas in southern BC. Close to the Washington border on Christina Lake is Gladstone Provincial Park, which has lakeside camping and recreational activities.

Upper Arrow and Lower Arrow Lakes are a widening of the Columbia River and lie between the imposing Selkirk Mountains on the east and the Monashee Mountains on the west. Valhalla Provincial Park, in the Selkirk range, was created to protect the diverse topography, alpine lakes and unique vegetation of the area.

A neat experience in the northern part of the West Kootenays is the vehicular/passenger ferry across the top end of Upper Arrow Lake, which connects Galena to Shelter Bay, on the west side. (There is also a similar ferry that connects Balfour to Kootenay Bay across Kootenay Lake.)  When near Galena it’s worth a trip down Hwy 23 and inland to Halfway Hot Springs. There are over 20 campsites here, and about half of them are vehicle accessible though large RVs are not recommended. Forty-five minutes south is the community owned Nakusp Hot Springs, with its two spring-fed pools. Temperatures are regulated for winter and summer, with one pool kept warmer than the other. Hot Springs Campground is also located here. For more information on the area read the articles on campgrounds around Nakusp and Arrow Lake.

Golf courses in the West Kootenays include Redstone Resort in Rossland, Birchbank in Genelle, Champions Lake in Fruitvale, Castlegar Golf Club, the Salmo District Golf Club, Valley View in Winlaw and Granite Point in Nelson. Northeast of here on Kootenay Lake are Balfour Golf Course and Kokanee Springs in Crawford Bay, and the par-9 Riondel Golf Club on the east side of the lake.

For campgrounds and RV parks in British Columbia go to Camping and RV in British Columbia

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Camping at its best: Revelstoke to Galena Bay, British Columbia

If you are looking for some great camping and hiking, check out the corridor (Highway 23) between Revelstoke and Galena Bay. Surrounded by stunning mountain views – Selkirk Mountains on the east and Monashee Mountains on the west – this area is worth the trip!

Just south of Revelstoke, the Columbia River widens creating Upper Arrow Lake at the north and Lower Arrow Lake with its southern end near Castlegar.

In this blog, I want to share two great campsites on Upper Arrow Lake: Blanket Creek Provincial Park and Arrow Lakes Provincial Park (Shelter Bay Site) plus some great hikes.

Travelling about 25 kilometres south from Revelstoke, you will reach Blanket Creek Park. I can’t pinpoint just one reason why this park has evolved into my favourite provincial park of the past few years but from seeing how busy it is becoming, I am not alone.

I love walking and hiking and find that there are lots of choices within the park and plenty more close by. Just walking around the camping area, there are a little over 100 campsites so it is a good size park for meandering up and down the roads around the campsites. The park also has lots of trails including the 1.5 kilometer Columbia River Trail that runs along the lake and around the man-made swimming lagoon. On our recent visit to the park we were also able to walk a long way along the beach which was accessible as the water levels had dropped quite significantly since the beginning of the summer.

The Nature Trail at the south end of the park takes you to the original Domke homestead and farm. This historic site was developed into the park in 1982. As you explore the site, you may see the original rock-work and signs with more historic information.

For those wanting a short up-hill walk, the trail to the 12 metre high Sutherland Falls in the park provides a beautiful view. The falls are created by Blanket Creek flowing from above.

Not far from the park gates there are a number of hiking trails including the Begbie Creek and Mount MacPherson Trails, as well as Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Park near Revelstoke. This past trip we hiked to Begbie Falls and then down to the lake; it was an easy 1-kilometre trail through the dense forest and moss-covered ground.

Along with hiking there are lots of swimming spots along the lake, plus it is a great place for boating and fishing. Unique to this park is the man-made swimming lagoon, a circular lagoon surrounded by sandy beach. I read one article that stated that the water circulates every 24-48 hours.

Just south down the road (about 25 km south of Blanket Creek) is the Shelter Bay Site which was created in 1981 and has 17 first-come-first-serve campsites. Highlights of this park include swimming along the shores of the lake and easy access for boating. The park includes a concrete boat launch with lots of parking.

For those interested in exploring further south, the 20-minute ferry which crosses the lake from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay is located just south of the campsite gates. From the other side of the lake, your adventure can continue to communities like Nakusp and the hot springs at Halcyon and Nakusp.

Even though I love the hiking and lush green forests of this area, it is always fun to set off on our next adventure for more hiking and great camping.

If this area interests you, check out our drive:
Mountains, Lakes & Rivers in the West Kootenays and Boundary Country

For other campgrounds in this area or elsewhere in British Columbia go to the Camping Map.

Share your BC camping and travel photos using hashtag #campinbc #BCNice and #ExploreBC

Published: October 8th, 2020